S. Korea's August trade deficit amounts to US$3.81 bln

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade deficit in August amounted to $3.81 billion, driven by sky-high crude oil prices, a government report showed Tuesday.

According to the report compiled by the Korea Customs Service, the country's
exports totaled $36.79 billion last month, up 18.7 percent from a year earlier,
while imports surged 37 percent to $40.61 billion over the cited period.

Import growth comes mostly from skyrocketing crude oil prices. South Korea, the
world's fifth-largest oil importer, spent about $9.24 billion in purchasing
international crude last month, up 90 percent from a year before, the report
showed.

The August deficit brought the nation's 2008 cumulative shortfall to $12.34
billion, according to the report.

kokobj@yna.co.kr

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